JP7185478B2 - thickener - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a thickener, and more particularly to a non-temperature-sensitive thickener that provides a suitable thickening effect independent of temperature.

Thickeners are widely used to increase the viscosity of various water-containing substances such as foods, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and industrial products by adding them to and mixing with them. Patent Literature 1 discloses a thickening agent composition containing predetermined ratios of xanthan gum, water-soluble calcium salt, and water-soluble citrate. Specifically, xanthan gum, X parts by mass of water-soluble calcium salt in terms of calcium with respect to 100 parts by mass of xanthan gum, and Y parts by mass of water-soluble citrate in terms of citric acid with respect to 100 parts by mass of xanthan gum and X and Y are granules satisfying the following formulas (1) and (2) at the same time.
1≤X≤2.1 (1)
4.7X-1.3≤Y≤13.7 (2)

By mixing the thickening agent composition of Patent Document 1 with a liquid food, a predetermined storage modulus and loss tangent can be achieved in a wide temperature range of 10 to 60°C, and undissolved parts (lumps) are less likely to occur during dissolution. Furthermore, it has been shown that the use of the present thickener composition can realize a gel-type swallowing food that is easy for dysphagia and elderly people to swallow.

In addition, Patent Document 2 discloses a liquid food thickening composition comprising trisodium citrate, xanthan gum, carrageenan, and dextrin. This liquid food thickening composition contains 5 to 15% by mass of xanthan gum, 5 to 15% by mass of carrageenan, and 65 to 89% by mass of dextrin with respect to the total amount of the liquid food thickening composition. In addition, a powdery raw material consisting of xanthan gum, carrageenan, and dextrin is used as a fluidized bed, and the amount of trisodium citrate added is 1 to 5% by mass relative to the total amount of the liquid food thickening composition, It is shown to be produced by spraying a binder liquid containing trisodium citrate to obtain granules from the raw material powder and drying the granules.

The thickening composition for liquid foods of Patent Document 2 disperses well even under gentle stirring conditions such as manual stirring, so a small amount of the composition is added to liquid foods containing relatively large amounts of fats, proteins, minerals, etc. It is described that even in such a case, the viscosity rises quickly and the equilibrium viscosity is high, resulting in excellent viscosity development. In addition, it has been shown that it can be added to liquid food and liquid foods such as milk, which are generally said to be difficult to obtain the viscosity-imparting effect of water-soluble polymers.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-271258 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-55

The thickeners of the prior art described above are capable of imparting a suitable viscosity to a liquid substance containing a prescribed component and at a prescribed temperature. However, no study has been made on the temperature change of the liquid, the type of medium, and the viscosity change due to the addition of salt. The present inventors have found that the viscosity of a commercially available thickening agent, which is considered to be similar to the composition of the above-mentioned patent document, varies greatly depending on the temperature change of the liquid, the type of medium, the addition of salt, etc. confirmed. When preparing a thickened product using such a thickener, it is necessary to select the optimum thickener according to the temperature and composition of the liquid to be used, which makes the preparation of the thickened product complicated. . Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a thickening agent capable of obtaining a stable viscosity regardless of the temperature or composition of the liquid.

As a result of intensive research in view of the above problems, the present inventors found that a thickener containing xanthan gum, polysaccharides (excluding xanthan gum) and metal salts can solve the above problems, and conceived the present invention. That is, the thickener of the present invention is a thickener containing xanthan gum, polysaccharides (excluding xanthan gum) and metal salts, and has a viscosity of The rate of change in viscosity at water temperatures of 20° C. and 45° C. when dissolving an amount of 300 mPa s±50 mPa s in distilled water {(viscosity at 45° C.-viscosity at 20° C.)/viscosity at 20° C.}×100 is 15% or less.

The thickener of the present invention has a viscosity at 20° C. when the above amount of the thickener is dissolved in distilled water and a viscosity at 20° C. when the above amount of the thickener is dissolved in a 1% by mass sodium chloride aqueous solution. The absolute value of the rate of change in viscosity {(viscosity of aqueous sodium chloride solution−viscosity of distilled water)/viscosity of distilled water}×100 is preferably 30% or less.

Moreover, the polysaccharide is preferably a guar gum enzymatic decomposition product.
Furthermore, the metal salt is preferably a magnesium salt.

According to the thickener of the present invention, it is possible to suppress the change in the viscosity of the liquid used due to the change in temperature, and to obtain the liquid with stable viscosity. Also, it is possible to effectively reduce the change in viscosity caused by the change in composition of the liquid, such as the addition of salt. Therefore, it is not necessary to change the thickener depending on the temperature and composition of the liquid used, and it is possible to efficiently prepare the thickened material in various fields.
The thickener of the present invention can be applied to foods, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, industrial products, and the like. By applying the thickener of the present invention to these products, a stable viscosity can be obtained even if the usage environment such as temperature changes, and the desired properties such as fluidity, applicability, application feeling, and lubricity can be always achieved. Obtainable.

Fig. 2 shows the results of plotting the relationship between the metal salt content and the rate of change in viscosity between water and aqueous sodium chloride solution when dextrin (A) or guar gum enzymatic decomposition product (B) is used as the polysaccharide.

Reference Examples, Example 4 ((b1) dextrin + (c4) magnesium sulfate), Example 10 ((b2) guar gum enzymatic decomposition product + (c1) potassium chloride), Example 12 ((b2) guar gum enzymatic decomposition product + (c2) trisodium citrate), the water of Example 15 ((b2) guar gum enzymatic hydrolyzate + (c3) calcium lactate)) and Example 17 ((b2) guar gum enzymatic hydrolyzate + (c4) magnesium sulfate)) and the rate of change in viscosity in an aqueous sodium chloride solution.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below.
The thickeners of the present invention contain xanthan gum, polysaccharides (excluding xanthan gum) and metal salts. The present invention provides a thickener that can stably maintain a predetermined viscosity even when the temperature of the thickened substance changes, by adjusting the components and composition of the thickener by the method described below. Specifically, the viscosity of the thickener of the present invention when dissolved in distilled water at a water temperature of 20 ° C. is 300 mPa · s ± 50 mPa · s. The absolute value of the rate of change in viscosity at {(viscosity at 45° C.−viscosity at 20° C.)/viscosity at 20° C.}×100 is 15% or less.

Further, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a predetermined viscosity can be stably maintained even if a salt such as common salt is added to the thickened material. Specifically, the change in the viscosity at 20°C when the above amount of the thickener is dissolved in distilled water and the viscosity at 20°C when the above amount of the thickener is dissolved in a 1% by mass sodium chloride aqueous solution. The absolute value of the ratio {(viscosity of aqueous sodium chloride solution−viscosity of distilled water)/viscosity of distilled water}×100 can be 30% or less.
Details of each component of the thickener of the present invention are described below.

(A) Xanthan Gum The thickener of the present invention contains xanthan gum, which is a thickening polysaccharide. Xanthan gum is a water-soluble natural polysaccharide obtained by extracellularly producing starch made from corn by a microorganism (Xanthomonas campestris). The primary structure has a main chain in which D-glucose is β-1,4-linked and side chains consisting of D-mannose and D-glucuronic acid linked to anhydroglucose on the main chain. In the side chain, two molecules of D-mannose and D-glucuronic acid are bound every other D-glucose residue on the main chain. In addition, the D-mannose at the end of the side chain may be pyruvate, and the C-6 position of the D-mannose bound to the main chain may be acetylated. The above-mentioned polysaccharides are known to have a molecular weight of about 2 million to 50 million. In the present invention, the molecular weight of xanthan gum is not particularly limited.

Commercially available xanthan gum can also be used in the present invention. Commercially available products include Neosoft XR (manufactured by Taiyo Kagaku Co., Ltd.) and SATIAXANE CX90 (manufactured by Cargil).

The content of xanthan gum is preferably 20% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less, more preferably 30% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less, relative to the total thickener. Furthermore, it is preferably 35% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less, more preferably 35% by mass or more and 45% by mass or less. By setting the content of xanthan gum within the above range, a thickener having both better viscosity and dispersibility can be obtained.

(B) Polysaccharides The thickener of the present invention contains at least one polysaccharide in addition to xanthan gum, which is a thickening polysaccharide. These polysaccharides are used to improve the dispersibility of xanthan gum.
As such polysaccharides, dextrin, sugar, oligosaccharides, guar gum enzymatic decomposition products, gum arabic, polydextrose, inulin, arabinogalactan, starch, cellulose and the like can be used.

Among the above polysaccharides, it is preferable to use a guar gum enzymatic decomposition product. Guar gum (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba) is a polysaccharide obtained from the seeds of annual leguminous plants cultivated in Pakistan and India. be. A guar gum enzymatic hydrolyzate is obtained by enzymatically partially degrading this galactomannan. It has been confirmed that the guar gum enzymatic hydrolyzate has not only the effect of improving the dispersibility of xanthan gum but also the effect of stabilizing the viscosity of the liquid.
Commercially available guar gum enzymatically decomposed products include Sunfiber (manufactured by Taiyo Kagaku Co., Ltd.).

(C) Metal salt The thickener of the present invention further contains a metal salt. It is generally known that the addition of a metal salt improves the dispersibility and allows the preparation of a more uniform thickened product. In the composition of the thickener of the present invention, it was confirmed that the viscosity stability was improved by adding a metal salt.
Although the metal salt is not particularly limited, it is preferably at least one selected from commonly used potassium salts, sodium salts, calcium salts and magnesium salts. Among these, magnesium salts are particularly preferred. By using a magnesium salt, it is possible to more effectively reduce the change in viscosity caused by changes in the temperature and composition of the liquid at a lower concentration.

The amount of the metal salt added is preferably 1% by mass or more and 20% by mass or less, more preferably 3% by mass or more and 10% by mass or less, relative to the total thickener. By adding a metal salt within the above range, it is possible to suppress changes in the viscosity of the liquid due to changes in temperature and composition without affecting the flavor even when used in foods.
In addition, a normal commercial item etc. can be used as a metal salt.

Potassium salts include potassium chloride, potassium carbonate, potassium sulfate, potassium hydrogen sulfite, potassium bromide, potassium bromate, potassium nitrate, potassium polyphosphate, potassium metaphosphate, tripotassium phosphate, dipotassium hydrogen phosphate, diphosphate Potassium hydrogen, monopotassium citrate, tripotassium citrate, DL-potassium hydrogen tartrate, potassium L-hydrogen tartrate, tetrapotassium pyrophosphate, potassium gluconate, potassium L-glutamate, potassium acetate, potassium sorbate and their hydrated objects, etc. can be used.
These potassium salts can be used alone or in combination of multiple types. A potassium salt and another metal salt can also be used in combination.

Sodium salts include sodium chloride, sodium carbonate, trisodium citrate, monosodium citrate, DL-sodium malate, sodium benzoate, sodium gluconate, sodium L-glutamate, sodium acetate, sodium bromide, sodium bicarbonate. , sodium potassium tartrate, sodium hydrogen tartrate, DL-sodium tartrate, sodium L-tartrate, sodium nitrate, sodium lactate, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, disodium dihydrogen pyrophosphate, sodium fumarate, sodium polyphosphate, sodium metaphosphate, sulfite sodium hydrogen phosphate, sodium sulfate, disodium hydrogen phosphate, sodium dihydrogen phosphate, trisodium phosphate, 5'-disodium inosinate, 5'-disodium uridylate, 5'-disodium guanylate, 5'- Disodium cytidylate, disodium 5'-ribonucleotide, hydrates thereof, and the like can be used.
These sodium salts can be used alone or in combination of multiple types. A sodium salt and another metal salt can also be used in combination.

Calcium salts include calcium chloride, calcium sulfate, calcium carbonate, calcium hydroxide, calcium oxide, tricalcium phosphate, calcium monohydrogen phosphate, calcium dihydrogen phosphate, calcium acetate, calcium lactate, calcium citrate, and gluconic acid. Calcium, calcium L-glutamate, uncalcined bone calcium, dihydrogen pyrophosphate calcium, 5′-ribonucleotide calcium, hydrates thereof, and the like can be used.
These calcium salts can be used alone or in combination of multiple types. Also, calcium salts and other metal salts can be used in combination.

Magnesium salts that can be used include magnesium chloride, magnesium oxide, magnesium carbonate, magnesium sulfate, magnesium L-glutamate and hydrates thereof.

These magnesium salts can be used alone or in combination of multiple types. A magnesium salt and another metal salt can also be used in combination.
As will be described in detail below, the addition of a small amount of magnesium salt can effectively suppress changes in viscosity caused by changes in temperature and composition of the liquid. Therefore, it can be suitably used for applications such as food, where the amount of metal salt to be added is required to be as small as possible because it affects the flavor.

Other additives can be added to the thickener of the present invention as long as the original properties are not affected. Other additives include pH adjusters and the like.

The thickener of the present invention is obtained by mixing the above components.
By adjusting the composition of (A) xanthan gum, (B) polysaccharides (excluding xanthan gum), and (C) metal salts, a thickener that can maintain a stable viscosity even when the temperature of the thickened product changes. You can get viscous. The mixing method is not particularly limited, and a general powder mixing method is applied. Specific examples include paddle mixers, tumbler mixing, W-type mixing, V-type mixing, drum-type mixing, ribbon mixing, conical screw mixing, ball mills, and the like. In the thickener of the present invention, better viscosity stability can be obtained by uniformly mixing the above components at the particle level.
The thickener of the present invention can also be produced by granulation.

(B) By using a guar gum enzymatic decomposition product as a polysaccharide, a viscosity change when salt is added is effectively suppressed, so a thickener that can maintain a stable viscosity against temperature changes and salt addition. is obtained. Moreover, by using a magnesium salt as the metal salt, the viscosity stability described above can be obtained with the addition of a smaller amount of the metal salt. Therefore, it can be suitably used in applications such as food applications, where the amount of metal salt to be added is required to be reduced as much as possible because it affects the flavor.

The thickener of the present invention can be suitably used in many applications including food applications. Specific examples of food applications include beverages such as coffee, black tea, green tea, cocoa, shiruko, juice, soy milk, raw milk, processed milk, lactic acid beverages, calcium-enriched beverages, dietary fiber-containing beverages, coffee whitener, whipping cream, Dairy products such as custard cream and soft serve ice cream, liquid foods such as soups, stews, sauces, sauces, dressings, mustard paste and wasabi paste, seasonings, processed fruit products such as fruit sauces and fruit preparations, liquid foods , liquid or paste supplements, liquid or paste pet foods, and the like.

Moreover, the thickener of the present invention can also be applied to liquid cosmetics. Specific examples of liquid cosmetics include skin cosmetics (lotions, milky lotions, serums, packs, moisture creams, massage creams, cold creams, cleansing creams, facial cleansers, vanishing creams, emollient creams, hand creams, antiperspirants and deodorants. cosmetics, sunscreen cosmetics, etc.), finishing cosmetics (foundation, face powder, lipstick, lip balm, blush, sunscreen cosmetics, eyelash cosmetics such as eyebrow ink, mascara, nail polish, nail polish remover, etc.), hair cosmetics (shampoos, hair rinses, hair tonics, hair treatments, pomades, tics, hair creams, balms, hair styling products, hair styling products, hair sprays, hair dyes, hair restorers, hair tonics, etc.), and cleaning agents such as hand cleaners , bath cosmetics, shaving cosmetics, fragrances, toothpastes, ointments, patches and the like.

Furthermore, the thickening agent of the present invention can also be applied to liquid pharmaceuticals. Specific examples of liquid pharmaceuticals include oral formulations, nasal formulations, drip formulations, intubation formulations, ointments, medicated cosmetics, vitamin-containing health care agents, medicated hair growth agents, medicated toothpastes, bath agents, anthelmintics, and armpit odors. Examples include inhibitors, mouth fresheners, biomaterials, patches, and skin coatings.

Moreover, the thickener of the present invention can also be applied to liquid industrial products. Specific examples of liquid industrial products include pigments, paints, inks, deodorants/fragrant agents, antibacterial/antifungal agents, adhesives, coating agents, sealing agents, heat release agents, and various oils (cutting oil, lubricating oil, etc.). , puncture repair agents, tires, bicycle and automobile tubes, surfactants (dispersants), sanitary materials, wetting materials, moisture absorbing materials, adsorbent materials, surface protective agents, culture materials, detergents, liquid soaps, various batteries, etc. be done.

(Measurement of rate of change in viscosity at water temperatures of 20°C and 45°C)
Change in viscosity at water temperatures of 20°C and 45°C when the thickener of the present invention is dissolved in distilled water in an amount that gives a viscosity of 300 mPa s ± 50 mPa s at a water temperature of 20°C. The absolute value of the ratio {(viscosity at 45° C.−viscosity at 20° C.)/viscosity at 20° C.}×100 is 15% or less.

Each viscosity is measured by the following method.
Multiple distilled waters were prepared and different amounts of thickener were added. The mixture was stirred for 1 minute with a stirrer (MULTI MAGNETIC STIRRER HSD-6 manufactured by AS ONE) to obtain a thickened product. After adjusting the temperature of this thickened material to 20° C., the viscosity of the thickened material was measured. The viscosity was measured using a rotational rheometer (manufactured by Malvern) at a shear rate of 50/sec. Based on the above results, a calibration curve was created, and the amount of the thickening agent that gave the viscosity of the thickened material of 300 mPa·s±50 mPa·s was determined. The amount of thickener determined in this way is added to distilled water, and the viscosity when the temperature of the thickened substance is 20 ° C. and the viscosity after adjusting the temperature of the thickened substance to 45 ° C. was measured. Viscosity measurements were taken 1 hour after adding the thickener.

Even when the amount of the thickening agent has a certain range, the change in viscosity of the thickened material shows similar behavior within that range. Within the range of the amount of the thickening agent, a thickening agent that has an absolute value of 15% or less of the rate of change in viscosity at water temperatures of 20°C and 45°C when even one point is dissolved in distilled water is within the scope of the present invention. included.

The rate of change in viscosity at water temperatures of 20° C. and 45° C. is a value calculated according to the following formula.
Rate of change in viscosity at water temperatures of 20°C and 45°C (%) = {(viscosity at 45°C - viscosity at 20°C)/viscosity at 20°C} x 100
The absolute value of the rate of change in viscosity at water temperatures of 20° C. and 45° C. is preferably 10% or less, more preferably 5% or less.

(Measurement of viscosity change rate in water and aqueous sodium chloride solution)
The viscosity (Vw) at 20 ° C. when the above amount of the thickener of the present invention is dissolved in distilled water, and the above amount of the thickener of the present invention is dissolved in a 1% by mass sodium chloride aqueous solution. The absolute value of the rate of change in viscosity (Vs) at 20° C. (rate of change in viscosity between water and aqueous sodium chloride solution) is preferably 30% or less. In addition, the said rate of change is a value calculated according to the following formulas.

Rate of change in viscosity in water and aqueous sodium chloride solution (%) = {(viscosity of aqueous sodium chloride solution (Vs) - viscosity of distilled water (Vw))/viscosity of distilled water} x 100
In addition, the thickened sodium chloride aqueous solution is obtained by adding 1% by mass of sodium chloride to distilled water and stirring until dissolved, then adding the above amount of thickening agent and stirring with a stirrer for 1 minute. Obtained by stirring.
The absolute value of the rate of change in viscosity between water and the aqueous sodium chloride solution is more preferably 15% or less, even more preferably 10% or less, and particularly preferably 5% or less.

EXAMPLES The embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to Examples, but the present invention is not limited by these Examples. In the examples, unless otherwise specified, "%" and "parts" indicate % by mass and parts by mass.

(Reference example)
Using a commercially available thickener, the rate of change in viscosity at water temperatures of 20° C. and 45° C. and the rate of change in viscosity in water and an aqueous sodium chloride solution were measured by the method described above. The respective rates of change were -41% and -37%.

<Constituents of thickener>
(A) Xanthan gum (a) Xanthan gum: Neosoft XR, manufactured by Taiyo Kagaku Co., Ltd. (B) Polysaccharides (b1) Dextrin: NSD700, manufactured by Sanei Saccharification Co., Ltd. (b2) Guar gum enzymatic decomposition product: Sunfiber R, Taiyo Kagaku Co., Ltd. Company manufactured (b3) Guar gum enzymatic decomposition product: Sunfiber HG, manufactured by Taiyo Kagaku Co., Ltd. (C) Metal salt (c1) Potassium chloride (c2) Sodium citrate (trisodium citrate)
(c3) calcium lactate (c4) magnesium sulfate

(Preparation of thickener)
Weigh out xanthan gum, polysaccharides and metal salts at the blending ratios shown in Tables 1 to 3, put them in an eyeboy wide-mouthed bottle (for 250 ml), and mix by handshaking for 15 minutes. A thickener is obtained.
Similarly, each component was weighed at the blending ratio shown in Table 1, put into an iboy wide-mouthed bottle (for 250 ml), and mixed by hand shaking for 15 minutes to obtain thickeners of Comparative Examples 1 to 4. rice field. A sample consisting of only xanthan gum and a metal salt was not shown in the table because sufficient dispersibility was not obtained when it was added to the liquid.

(Preparation of thickened product and measurement of viscosity)
Using the thickeners of Examples 1 to 19 and Comparative Examples 1 to 4, the above "measurement of viscosity change rate at water temperature 20 ° C. and 45 ° C." and "measurement of viscosity change rate in water and sodium chloride aqueous solution ”, a thickened product was prepared, the viscosity of each was measured, and the viscosity change rate was calculated. The results are shown in Tables 1-3.
The amount of each thickener dissolved in distilled water at which the viscosity was 300 mPa·s±50 mPa·s at a water temperature of 20° C. was 2% by mass in all the examples and comparative examples.

As shown in Table 1, in Comparative Examples 1 to 4 containing only xanthan gum and polysaccharide, the rate of change in viscosity at water temperatures of 20°C and 45°C ranged from -33% to -17%. From this, it was confirmed that a thickener consisting only of xanthan gum and polysaccharide causes a large change in viscosity due to a change in temperature. Also, the rate of change in viscosity between water and the aqueous sodium chloride solution was in the range of 55% to 91%, and it was found that the addition of sodium chloride also significantly changed the viscosity in the comparative example.

For these Comparative Examples 1 to 4, Example 1 in which potassium chloride was added, Example 2 in which trisodium citrate was added, Example 3 in which calcium lactate was added, and magnesium sulfate were added as metal salts. In Example 4, it was confirmed that the rate of change in viscosity at water temperatures of 20°C and 45°C was significantly reduced. In particular, the changes in Examples 1 and 4 were 0% and -1%, respectively, indicating that there was almost no change in viscosity due to temperature change.
Moreover, in Examples 1 to 4, the absolute values of the rate of change in viscosity in water and in the aqueous sodium chloride solution are both less than 30%, confirming that the change in viscosity due to the addition of sodium chloride is greatly suppressed. was done.

From the above results, it was found that the thickener of the present invention containing xanthan gum, polysaccharides (excluding xanthan gum), and metal salts can effectively suppress the viscosity change caused by the temperature change of the thickened material. Specifically, in the thickener of the present invention, the thickener is dissolved in distilled water, and the amount of the thickener that gives a viscosity of 300 mPa s ± 50 mPa s at a water temperature of 20 ° C. is determined. When the thickener is dissolved in distilled water, the absolute value of the rate of change in viscosity at 20°C and 45°C {(viscosity at 45°C - viscosity at 20°C)/viscosity at 20°C} x 100 is 15% or less. Confirmed that it can be adjusted.

Although not shown in Table 1, when sugar and oligosaccharides are used as polysaccharides, the viscosity change rate at water temperatures of 20° C. and 45° C. is , -31% to -41%. On the other hand, by adding a metal salt, the rate of change in viscosity at water temperatures of 20°C and 45°C was reduced to about -1%. From this, it was found that even when sugar and oligosaccharides were used as polysaccharides, the effect of the present invention was obtained that the viscosity was kept constant even when the temperature of the thickened material changed.
In addition, it was confirmed that a sample using glucose, which is a monosaccharide, could obtain a certain degree of viscosity stability, although it was not as good as a sample using polysaccharide.

Table 2 shows the results of measuring the viscosity change rate of each of the samples of Examples 1, 2, 3 and 4 in which the amount of metal salt added was increased from 3% by mass to 10% by mass (Example 5 , 6, 8 and 9). FIG. 1(A) shows the result of plotting the relationship between the metal salt content and the rate of change in viscosity between water and the aqueous sodium chloride solution in the above example. As shown in FIG. 1, by increasing the amount of the metal salt from 3% by mass to 10% by mass, it was confirmed that the rate of change in viscosity between water and the aqueous sodium chloride solution was greatly reduced in the case of any metal salt. rice field. Here, in (c3) Example 8 using calcium lactate and (c4) Example 9 using magnesium sulfate, the rate of change in viscosity in water and the aqueous sodium chloride solution was −3% and −1%, respectively. rice field. From these results, adjusting the amount of metal salt added is effective in reducing the rate of change in viscosity between water and aqueous sodium chloride solution, and in particular, excellent effects are obtained by using calcium salt or magnesium salt. I understood it.

On the other hand, for (c2) trisodium citrate, increasing the metal content from 3% by weight (Example 2) to 10% by weight (Example 6) resulted in a 26% change in viscosity in water and aqueous sodium chloride solution. from 13%. Therefore, in order to further improve viscosity stability, the metal salt content was increased to 20% by mass (Example 7). However, the rate of change in viscosity in water and aqueous sodium chloride increased to 15%.
From this, it is confirmed that it is important to select the optimum metal salt in order to sufficiently suppress the change rate of viscosity in water and sodium chloride aqueous solution with a small amount of metal salt and to increase viscosity stability. was done.

Table 3 shows the results of measuring the viscosity change rate of each of the samples in which the polysaccharide of the samples of Examples 1, 2, 3 and 4 was changed from dextrin to guar gum enzymatic decomposition product (Examples 10, 12, 15 and 17). In addition, FIG. 1(B) shows the results of plotting the relationship between the metal salt content and the viscosity change rate in water and sodium chloride aqueous solution when using guar gum enzymatic decomposition product as the polysaccharide. From the results of Examples 10, 12, 15 and 17 and comparison with FIGS. It was found that changing the saccharide from dextrin to a guar gum enzymatic decomposition product reduces the rate of change in viscosity between water and sodium chloride aqueous solution even with the same metal salt concentration. From this, it was confirmed that the guar gum enzymatic decomposition product has a remarkable effect in suppressing the change in viscosity due to the addition of salt to the thickened product.

In addition, in Examples 11, 13, 16 and 19 in which the guar gum enzymatic decomposition product was used and the amount of metal salt added was increased to 10% by mass, the absolute value of the rate of change in viscosity at 20 ° C. and 45 ° C. Both the absolute values of the rate of change in viscosity in water and in the aqueous sodium chloride solution were 5% or less. From this, it was confirmed that adjusting the metal salt concentration using the guar gum enzymatic decomposition product is important for preparing a thickener that can maintain a stable viscosity against temperature changes and addition of salt. was done.
In Example 18, dextrin and a guar gum enzymatic decomposition product are used together as polysaccharides. As described above, in the thickener of the present invention, it is possible to use a plurality of polysaccharides in appropriate combination in consideration of required properties, cost, and the like.

In FIG. 2, Example 4 ((b1) dextrin + (c4) magnesium sulfate), Example 10 ((b2) guar gum enzymatic decomposition product + (c1) potassium chloride), Example 12 ((b2) guar gum enzymatic decomposition product + (c2) trisodium citrate), Example 15 ((b2) guar gum enzymatic hydrolyzate + (c3) calcium lactate)) and Example 17 ((b2) guar gum enzymatic hydrolyzate + (c4) magnesium sulfate)) The rate of change in viscosity in water and aqueous sodium chloride solution is shown (both metal salt concentrations are 3% by mass). For comparison, the results of Reference Example are also shown.

From FIG. 2, it was confirmed that the thickener of the present invention can greatly reduce the rate of change in viscosity between water and an aqueous sodium chloride solution compared to commercially available products. In particular, in Example 17 using guar gum enzymatic decomposition product as the polysaccharide and magnesium sulfate as the metal salt, even if the metal salt content is 3% by mass, the difference in viscosity between water and the aqueous sodium chloride solution was hardly recognized. From this, it is clear that the use of the guar gum enzymatic decomposition product and the magnesium salt has a synergistic effect.

Claims (4)

A thickener containing a mixture of xanthan gum, polysaccharides (excluding xanthan gum), and magnesium salt, wherein the viscosity of the thickener dissolved in distilled water at a water temperature of 20°C is 300 mPa·s±50 mPa·s. When the amount is dissolved in distilled water, the rate of change in viscosity at water temperatures of 20 ° C. and 45 ° C. {(viscosity at 45 ° C.-viscosity at 20 ° C.) / viscosity at 20 ° C.} × 100 The absolute value is 15% or less. A thickening agent characterized by: Viscosity at 20°C when the above amount of the thickening agent is dissolved in distilled water and rate of change in viscosity at 20°C when the above amount of the thickening agent is dissolved in a 1% by mass sodium chloride aqueous solution {(chloride 2. The thickener according to claim 1, wherein the absolute value of (viscosity of aqueous sodium solution-viscosity of distilled water)/viscosity of distilled water}×100 is 30% or less. The thickening agent according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the polysaccharide is a guar gum enzymatic decomposition product. A method for producing a thickener, comprising the step of mixing xanthan gum powder, polysaccharide (excluding xanthan gum) powder and magnesium salt powder.

Images